SW News: Teachers in Iran have called for a nationwide strike on May 9 in protest against the failure of the Supreme Leader to address the mass school poisoning episodes that are taking place across the country.

The appeal for protests was given by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Associations soon after Supreme Leader Ayatallah Khamenei’s speech at an event to mark National Teacher’s Day. In his address before a group of selected teachers, he spoke on the national educational system but failed to mention anything about the gas attacks on girls’ schools leaving thousands sick and hospitalized.

In his speech, Khamenei mentioned the need to promote the extremist version of Islam in the curriculum and to keep schools under state control. He also voiced the need to encourage students to take part in religious rites in mosques.
This incensed the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Associations which reacted by quickly issuing a statement expressing outrage. Teachers and educators have been urged to take part in protests outside Education Ministry offices in the country and outside the Parliament building in the capital Tehran on Tuesday.

May 9 has been chosen as the day to hold protest rallies to pay tribute to Jabbar Baghcheban aka Mirza Jabbar Asgarzadeh. He was an Iranian educator and inventor who is credited with establishing the first kindergarten and the first school for the hearing impaired.

Videos have emerged on social media platforms showing six schools where there were poisonous gas attacks leaving scores of girls sick and in hospital. The girls are seen showing signs of nausea, and dizziness. Ambulances were also shown taking the patients to various hospitals. There were similar attacks a day before the speech of the Supreme Leader.

There are allegations that the gas attacks are orchestrated by the government in retaliation against the girls participating in the anti-hijab, anti-regime protests across the country.